About GPC

What is GPC?

The Graduate Professional Council (GPC) is the official student government representing all graduate, professional, and post-baccalaureate students at the University of Missouri in Columbia. Since its founding in 1982, GPC has served as the voice of students from the Graduate School and the schools of Business, Public Affairs (formerly Public Administration), Law, Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine.

GPC advocates on behalf of graduate and professional students to key decision-making bodies at the university, including the UM Board of Curators and various faculty committees. The council also hosts events such as the Research and Creative Activities Forum to showcase student innovation, along with social gatherings that help students connect across disciplines.

While many departments and schools at Mizzou have their own councils—such as the Student Bar Association (SBA) for law students, the Medical Student Affairs Council (MSAC) and the Graduate Student Association (GSA)—these groups primarily represent students within their own academic units. GPC, on the other hand, serves as the umbrella organization that represents all graduate and professional students to the broader university administration and system leadership.

In addition to its advocacy efforts, GPC manages an annual budget that supports student-led academic and social initiatives. Graduate and professional students, as well as their organizations, can apply for GPC funding for events, programs, and equipment that enhance the student experience.

 

How can I get involved with GPC?

 

There are several ways to participate in the Graduate Professional Council (GPC) General Assembly and contribute to student leadership at Mizzou:

  1. Serve as a department representative
  2. Represent your peers as an at-large representative
  3. Join a campus committee as a GPC representative
  4. Run for an executive board officer position*
  5. Support executive board leadership as an assistant director to an officer

*Some of these positions receive financial support. Compensation is treated as income for services rendered and includes assigned work hours. Please note: If you are elected or appointed to one of these roles, the hours count toward your weekly work limit, which may be relevant for students with visa-related work restrictions.

The legislative body of the Graduate Professional Council (GPC) is called the General Assembly. The General Assembly of GPC is comprised of representatives from all academic departments in the Graduate School as well as representatives from the Medical School, the School of Law, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Business School, and the GPC executive council. GPC Representatives are required to attend the monthly GPC General Assembly meetings or to send a proxy in their place.

For more information about the General Assembly, click here.

GPC General Assembly meetings are held on the first Tuesday of every month, during the Fall and Spring semesters, from 6-8 pm in the Leadership Auditorium of the MU Student Center. The meetings are open to all graduate and professional students, so everyone has the opportunity to voice their opinions.

Representatives must attend General Assembly meetings to keep their Represented Areas in Good Standing. Click here for a list of all Represented Areas currently in Good Standing.

Each Represented Area is allowed one (1) representative per 100 students enrolled in the program in the GPC General Assembly. For example, a department with 75 students can have one (1) GPC representative. A department with 110 students can have two (2) GPC representatives.

Most departments select a GPC representative through their departmental graduate student association/organization (GSA/GSO). You can check with your departmental GSA/GSO about becoming your department’s GPC representative, or you can email GPC directly at gpc@missouri.edu to find out if your department has a representative and how you can get involved. If your department already has a representative, you can alternatively become an At-Large member.

Representatives must attend General Assembly meetings to keep their Represented Areas in Good Standing. Click here for a list of all Represented Areas currently in Good Standing.

Along with department representatives, the GPC General Assembly also has At-Large representatives. GPC allows one At-Large representative per 500 enrolled graduate/professional students. There are currently approximately 7700 enrolled graduate/professional students at MU, so there are 15 At-Large representative seats in the GPC General Assembly. At-Large representatives are voted in at our General Assembly meetings. For information about becoming an At-Large representative, email gpc@missouri.edu.

GPC General Assembly members serve on one of many internal committees. Click here for a list of current committees internal to GPC.

GPC General Assembly members also serve as GPC representatives on the Chancellor’s standing committees. These committees address topics ranging from tuition and fees to campus planning, parking, transportation, and admissions. For more information on the Chancellor’s Standing Committees, visit http://committees.missouri.edu. On occasion, we need more graduate and professional students to serve on these committees. If you are interested in serving on a committee, contact GPC at gpc@missouri.edu.

GPC has an executive committee of nine members: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Director of Professional Development, Director of Programming, Director of Public Relations, Director of National Affairs, and Director of State Affairs. The Executive Board and the Data Analyst meet weekly to discuss issues surrounding graduate and professional student concerns and to plan meetings of the General Assembly, Events, and various other items.

Each March and April, during the normal meetings of the General Assembly (on the first Tuesday of the month), the Assembly will hear nominations for the next academic year’s Executive Board. All nominees must be present to accept their nomination. In April of each academic year, there will be a vote for each position of the Executive Board. In May of each academic year, the next academic year’s Executive Board begins their one-year term, which ends the following May. 

GPC has six Assistant Director positions, each of which reports to at least one Officer of the Executive Board: Assistant Director of Student Affairs, Assistant Director of Fundraising, Quartermaster, Assistant Director of Professional Development, Assistant Director of Programming, and Historian. These positions are appointed by the Executive Board to serve for one academic year. Assistant Directors need not be a Department Representative or At-Large Representative, and do not have a vote within the General Assembly unless they are a Department Representative or At-Large Representative. 

GPC has one Data Analyst position. This position is hired by the Executive Board during the summer prior to the academic year during which the Data Analyst would work, and is paid for by funds allocated from GPC’s operating budget. Typically, in May, the Executive Board will send out a call for resumes from qualified graduate and professional students. After an initial review, top candidates are selected for on-campus interviews for the position. After interviews, the Executive Board extends a contract offer to the Data Analyst to begin work in July through the academic year. The Data Analyst meets weekly with the Executive Board in all meetings, though does not have a vote in these meetings. The Data Analyst may elect to be a Department Representative or At-Large Representative and thereby have a vote within the General Assembly.

Please note: The Data Analyst position is closed as of Fall 2025. The current GPC executive board will initiate the process for future openings.

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